


The Pool Incident

by DonovanS



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, the pool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-08
Updated: 2012-12-08
Packaged: 2017-11-20 15:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonovanS/pseuds/DonovanS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sebastian Moran wasn't an emotional man. He felt things, naturally, just not very many things. He was straightforward and level headed and losing himself in something as useless as anger or depression just didn't suit his way of life.<br/>However, there were times when he simply couldn't ignore that god awful burn in his blood, that flood of anxiety, and each of those times had a great deal to do with Jim pulling what Sebastian lovingly referred to as 'something incredibly fucking stupid.' When Jim did things like this, Colonel Moran felt a whole bloody spectrum of emotions and he never knew quite how to handle them other than shooting at things.</p><p>"I can't believe you'd do something so goddamned rash. I really can't." He hissed, tossing his jacket onto one of the expensive, leather recliners. "You could've gotten your 'brilliant, little mind' blown right out've your skull, do you even realize that?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pool Incident

Sebastian Moran wasn't an emotional man. He felt things, naturally, just not very many things. He was straightforward and level headed and losing himself in something as useless as anger or depression just didn't suit his way of life.  
However, there were times when he simply couldn't ignore that god awful burn in his blood, that flood of anxiety, and each of those times had a great deal to do with Jim pulling what Sebastian lovingly referred to as 'something incredibly fucking stupid.' When Jim did things like this, Colonel Moran felt a whole bloody spectrum of emotions and he never knew quite how to handle them other than shooting at things.

"I can't believe you'd do something so goddamned rash. I really can't." He hissed, tossing his jacket onto one of the expensive, leather recliners. "You could've gotten your 'brilliant, little mind' blown right out've your skull, do you even realize that?"

Jim, on the other hand, seemed far too content in his personal flood of feelings, judging by how the man practically tap danced his way into the flat, that shark-toothed smirk never leaving his face.

"Oh Sebby, you get so concerned when I play games-"

"Don't you 'Sebby' me, you little twit."

Sebastian was done. He was really, thoroughly, done. Done with obnoxious nicknames and 'Muppet sounds' and every stupid fucking thing Jim did. If Jim wanted to get himself killed he could do it by his damned self, not risk the operation that Sebastian had worked his ass off to help create. All this to 'impress' some flash-in-the-pan internet detective? It was maddening. 

"...You're mad." Jim had finally stopped his Fred Astaire movements and let the smirk drop. "About the pool."

"Bloody _brilliant_ deduction there, Mr. Holmes." Sebastian replied, sinking into his armchair with his hands over his face. If he put any more pressure on his temples he'd probably give himself a blood clot but somehow he couldn't seem to control his hands properly. 

"You're the one who told me to go back." Jim cocked an eyebrow as he sauntered over, plopping down on the end of the sofa and sliding his suit jacket off. "It's not my fault the conversation changed."

"I told you to have them killed right then and there, not open your damned mouth and start talking to bleeding Irene!" If Jim had been digging himself into a hole before he'd just upgraded to a grave. 

"He was more than willing to blow us all up, or did you forget that part while you were hiding in the back?"

"The boys would've made the shot, Holmes would've been dead before his finger could even twitch on the trigger." 

"And if they didn't?"

"Well, if they didn't, at least the resulting explosion would've killed me and I wouldn't be stuck here _yelling at a damned little narcissist with no goddamn interest in self preservation!_ " 

This was fucking ridiculous. It really was. Every part of this had been Jim's idea. The morgue, the vests, the victims, the 'meeting.' All Jim. All Jim fanboying over that detective like a hormonal school girl and dragging Sebastian along for the ride. Risking everything they'd worked for.

"You underestimate me, Sebastian." Jim's voice was an irritated growl now. It was a dark sound that lacked all of his usual theatrics. "Just because you don't understand what I do does not mean I'm being foolish."

Sebastian finally let his hands drop, opting to let them clasp each other as his elbows rested on his knees. He knew Jim fully understood how dangerous that voice sounded, knew the genuine threat that hung in the air around it because he'd hung it there himself. It was one of those voices that stuck in your head and made you nauseous.

"Jim, you could've been killed. I could've been killed." He was consciously trying to keep his voice steady but he knew his barely contained anger was still slipping out after each carefully chosen phrase. "I've worked too damned hard keeping this thing going. I'm not...I don't intentionally go out've my way to insult your intelligence...But sometimes you just _don't seem to think..."_

Jim was watching him intently now, those large dark eyes cooled slightly but still holding that spark of offense. Fuck it, burying his face in his hands again was looking better and better.

"Your business will be fine, Seb. I've planned it all out rather well and I can assure you, it'll be better than ever for you down the road."

When Sebastian looked up, Jim had stopped staring at him. He was leaning back in his spot, legs stretched out in front of him and eyes shut, fingers interlaced on his stomach and clearly in deep in thought. 

"You can't plan for everything, Jim." The Colonel replied, his anger simmering down and being replaced with a much more awkward feeling. His partner-in-crime let out a long suffering sigh and opened his eyes, giving Sebastian a look of almost depressed frustration.

"I can't plan for everything, no. But I can plan around everything. I know what I want and I know what you want and I can assure you, in the end, it'll work out."

There was silence after that, Sebastian unable to think up a reply and Jim clearly mourning the wind that his second had taking out've his sails.

"...Boss."

"Just use Jim, or James, or _something._ I promoted you ages ago."

A moment of awkward silence again, though it didn't stretch as long as the last.

"Your obsession with Holmes." Sebastian caught the look Jim shot him but ignored it and continued. "It's disconcerting. What exactly is so special about him? The Ice Man had us pegged within five minutes of meeting me and you just ignored him but you fucking-" his face was in his hands again, fingers running up his forehead and through his hair "-You egg on his brother, risk everything for the chance to threaten him yourself. You tell me you have these plans but you never fucking tell me what they are-"

"Shut up, Sebastian." The interruption was an annoyed, rather childish snap. "My interest in Holmes is none of your concern"

" _You_ are my concern, you nutter. My life _is my concern._ " 

"Are you saying I'm your life, Colonel?" A sudden change of tone and Jim was grinning at him, grabbing onto the unintended interpretation and holding it between his teeth. 

"I-Fucking Hell Jim. Don't fucking try to change the subject on me please."

"I asked you a question Moran." 

"I don't-"

"I'm _wait-iiing~_ "

"Jim don't."

"Simple _questioooon~_ "

" _James._ "

"Need an _answerrrr~_ "

"Yeah, you are." 

"Doesn't ansss-What?" Jim stopped. His face suddenly full of something he so rarely experienced, confusion. He hadn't expected that. He'd expected what he usually got when he poked and prodded at an angry Moran. That he'd get frustrated and want to just strangle his superior only to throw his hands in the air and storm off to the range to shoot at a target that Jim hadn't failed to notice had a picture of him from the neck down attached to it.

"You're my life, James. You and this fucking business we set up. I've spent every day since my discharge working on this. It's all I have and I'd like to fucking keep it and not see it blown to bits because you have a mancrush on some cokey detective." There was a huge part of Sebastian's brain that was mortified at what he was saying, the normally dominant part that made him such a good sniper, a good criminal. The calm, rational part that felt no guilt or attachment to anyone. But right now he'd almost lost his life, literally and metaphorically, and whatever his brain normally held down in the back of his mind was pushing its way back up and there was just no stopping it. 

"You...I'm...wait..." Jim sat up only to immediately sit back down, his face blank as his brain sorted through everything he'd ever thought about, trying to sort out how to feel about what he'd just heard. "You'll be fine."

"I'd like the added assurance of hearing your plans, if you don't mind. Especially since I'll be part of them." 

"...Fine. We'll discuss it tonight" Jim rubbed his eyes and collected himself, face suddenly lit up and manic and so perfectly Jim. "That means I'll probably be able to fit you in more. Oh, yes, this could work out wonderfully. You always were the most competent."

Sebastian smiled. It was a small victory, one that would go on to change nothing, but having Jim Moriarty confused and taken aback , if only for a split second, was a delightful feeling and it served to cool that lingering anxiety from the Pool incident. 

Being in on the plans was more or less a bonus.


End file.
